Railway switch



D. E. LAHEY.

RAILWAY SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14, 1922.

Patented Nov.- 7, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

D. E. LAHEY.

RAILWAY SWITCH. 7 APPLICATION FILED ,A UG.14, 1922.

Patented Nov 7, 1922.

D. E. LAHEY. RAILWAY SWIICH. APPLICATION FILED AUG-14, I922.

Patented Nov. 7, 1922;

3 SHEETS-SHEEI 3- 8 Mm wIUmL Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

DENNIS E. LAHEY, or LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

. Application filed August 14, 1922. Serial No. 581,803.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, DENNIs E. LAHEY, a citizen of the United States.residing at Louisville in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Switches,of which the following is a specification.

The present application is in part a continuation of 1 my copendingapplication 5671-385, filed June 10, 1922. i

This invention r'elatesto improvements in railway tracks andparticularly to railway switches. I

The primary object of the invention is to so construct the trackage atthe place where the switch is located that the tracks will be renderedsafe and there will be no likelihood of a wreck occurring at this point.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved guard railsadapted to cooperate with the stock rails in such manner that theflanges of the car wheels will automatically throw the switchcompletely, providing the switch has not been thrown its entire distanceby the operator. These guard rails are also so constructed that theywill house the switch points when. the latter are not cooperating with mma rails, and owing to this, loose parts hanging from a train will notcatch on the switch points and cause dislodgment of the same. The guardrails are provided with special cover plates designed to facilitate thepassage of articles hanging from the train over the same so that therewill'be no liability of a hanging part'catching on a guard rail andtearing the saine away from the ties.

A still further object of the invention is to furnish improved rampsadapted to be placed between the stock rails and guard rails anddesigned to guide hanging parts through the throats formed between theguard rails and the stock rails. These ramps also function as fillerblocks to space the guard rails from the stock rails. v

"The present invention also includes special means for spacing the guardrails, andother specially designed parts fortying the guardrails to thestock rails in order to prevent spreading ofthese members.

The entire construction of'the present invention has beenspeciallydesigned to eliminate defects in trackage, which have h lftm fore causednumerous accidents and wrecks.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will bemore particu larly described hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of arailway track at the place where the switch points are located.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view of a portion of saidtrack taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line '4:-4= of Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views taken on lines 5--5 and 6-6,respectively, of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the cover plates of a guard rail.

Fig. Sis a similar view of the guard rail.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a spacing member that is adapted to beplaced between the guard rails for holding the same apart.

Fig. 10 is a clamp used in connecting one of the guard rails to one ofthe stock rails.

Fig. 11 is a wedge-shaped key used with said clamp.

Fig. 12 is a horizontal sectionalview of a detail showing the ramp orfiller block in position. i

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of one end of a switch point showing thesame provided with a post adapted to support the electric wiringemployed in a signaling system Fig. 1 1 is a top'plan view partly insection of one of the guard rails shown on a reduced scale. I

In the drawing, 1 and 2 designates the stock rails which are mounted inthe usual manner upon ties 3 and cooperate with switch'points 4; and 5,which are pivotally connected as shown at 6 and 7 to one of the stockrails and to one of the switch rails.

Arranged between the stock rails is a spacing member 8 adapted to holdthe guard.

rails 9 and 10 in spaced relation. This spacing member isbest shown inFig. 9 and it consists of a rectangular bar 11 provided with apertures12 adapted to receive the bolts used in securing the same to one of theties. The end portions 13 are arranged at a higher plane than the mainportion of the bar 11 in order to engage the flanges I l-at the'lowerend. of the guard rails as shown in Fig. 4. From the raised portions 13,the ends of the bar extend vertically as shown at Lifer the purpose ofengaging the vertical portion or web 16 of the guard rail. merges intoan inwardly extending horizontal portion 17 that terminates in avertically extending flange 18. As best shown in Fig. 4 the portion 17is adapted to lie beneath the head 19 of the guard rail 9, while theflange 18 is designed to engage the inner edge of the head 19and toextend upwardly above said head. as shown. The portions Hand 17 Fig. 9of the spacing member are provided with apertures 20 adapted to receivebolts used in securing said member to the guard rail. The mem her 8 hasvertical reinforcing websS at its ends.

Two guard rails are employed in the present construction and they aresubstantially similar in construction, with the exception that one isformed to i-ooperate with the switch point 4 while the other is shapedto cooperate with the switch point 5. Each guard rail as best shown inFig. 8, consists of a base 14 provided with apertures 21 to receivespikes used in connecting the same to the ties. From this base; risesthe web16 which has an offset portion :22 adapted to be engaged by theswitch point in a manner hereinafter described. The head 19 of the guardrail has holes 23 for a purpose hereinafter described. At this point itis to be noted that the offset portions 22 of the guard rails are to beset in directions parallel to the thrown positions of the switch points,in order that each. switch point may snugly engage the offset portion ofthe guard rail.

It will be noted that the upper edgeof each guard rail is tapereddownwardly from the head 19 to the ends 24, as shown at 25.

3 Each guard rail is provided with a cover plate 26 having a horizontalportion 27 provided with apertures 28. Bolts or the like are adaptedto'be passed through the apertures 28 and 23 for the purpose of securingthe plates to the guard rails. From the hori zontal portion 27, the endsof the plate are tapered downwardly to correspond with the tapered edgesof the web 16, and owing to this tapered. or sloping form of the plate,any partshanging. from the train and contacting with said plate will beguided over the plate as the train passes. The plate 26 terminates atone end in an inwardly extending flat portion 29 having holes 30 adaptedto receive spikes 31 used in securing the same to one of the ties. Theend portion of the plate 26 gradually merges into the portion 29 asshown at 32, and this provides a thickened portion which reinforces theplate. The opposite end of the plate 26 tore minates in a rectangularportion 33 having 1 apertures 34 to receive tie bolts 35. up,

The upper end of. the vertical portion wardly extending curved portion36 projects from one edge of the portion 33, and this portion 36provides a space 37 as shown in Fig. 2, adapted to permit the base 38 ofone of the switch points to move beneath the to guide the wheel flangestoward the stock e rails and to prevent any hanging parts from catchingon the plates 26.-

It will be noted from Fig. 3 that the plate 26 projects outwardly beyondthe web 16 of the guard rail, in order that the switch point 4 may movebeneathsaid plate when the switch point is not cooperating with thestock rail. It will thus be seen that the plate 26 protects the switchpoint and prevents the same from being engaged by a wheel flange, as thetrain moves over the switch. This construction also prevents partshanging from the train from being caught by the switch point." Owing tothe guardrails being provided with the offset portions22, a .i

shoulder-41 willbe provided on each'guard rail intermediate ends, andwhen aswitch point engagesone'of the guard rails, the end of the switchpoint will lie in close proximity to said shoulder. .Gonsequently',there will be no likelihood of any part being caught by the end of theswitch point;

Arranged between each guard rail and the stock rail with which itcooperates, is a ramp or filler block 42, best shown/in Figure 12. Thismember consists of a vertical flange 43 adapted to engage the undersideof the head and a portion of the web of one of the stock rails as shownin Figs. 4, 5 and 6. The ends of this flange as shown in Fig. 12,?areoutwardlyt'apered at 44 for the purpose of facilitating the passage ofhanging parts past the filler block. The filler blockhas a second flangealso provided with tapered ends or edges 46. asshown inFigI 12. 'Theportion of the filler block which liesbetween the flanges forms thebottomof a groove 47, and this bottom has its end portions tapereddownwardlyas shown at 48 for the purpose of guiding parts hanging fromthe train through the groove orthroat. The block 42 is secured inplaceby meansof bolts 49 and the upper edge of the flange engagestheunderside of the outer edge of ill) the plate 26 as shown in Fig 4.It will he block and a guard rail together, and to preventrelativespreading of these parts, I'have provided substantiallyiii-shaped clamps 51, best shown in'Figs. 5,10 and 11. Each of theseclamps is provided with a horizontal surface "52- adapted'to contactwith the base of the stock rail and thebase of the guard rail. The clampis also provided :with a step-shaped surface 53 adapted to coact withthe head of guardrail and with the inner edge of the plate 26. The clampis also provided with a vertically arranged surface 5st having a groove55. The space between the surfaces 53 and 54 is slightly wider than thecombined thickness of the parts which are placed between the same, andthis is to permit the insertion of a wedge key 56 having a projectingrib 57 adapted to slide in the groove 55.

As shown in Fig. 13, the end of the web of the switch point may beprovided with a post 58 to permit the electric wiring used in asignaling system to be connected to the switch point. As the postarranged at the end of the web might have a tendency to catch on toparts hanging from the train, I believe it preferable to arrange saidpost on the underside of the base of the switch point as shown in dottedlines and designated 59.

The switch points are connected together for joint movement by means oftie bars 60, and an operating bar 61 also connects the switch points. Topermit the passage of the latter bar, each of the guard rails isprovided with a cut away portion 62 as shown in Fig. 8. v

Each of the guard rails is also preferably provided with a cut outportion 63 to permit the electric wires or rods to run from the switchpoint to a signal pole.

From the foregoing, I believe that the construction, operation andadvantages of the present invention will be readily apparent topractical railroad men, and I am aware that various changes may be madein the construction illustrated without departing from the primarypurpose of the invention as expressed in the-claims. 1

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. In combination, stock rails. movable switch points cooperating withsaid stock rails, guard rails arranged between the stock rails, andfiller blocks arranged between said guard rails and stock rails, each ofsaid filler blocks including flanges with a groove arranged between thesame, and the end edges of said flanges being tapered to facilitate thepassage of articles through said groove.

2. A combination as claimed in claim 1 in which the grooves in thefiller blocks have switch points cooperating with. said stock rails,guard nails arranged between-the stock rails, and cover plates for saidguard rails, each ofsaid guard rails consisting of a base, a web risingfrom-'said'base and having'an otfsetportion, a shoulder arranged at oneend of the ,oifset portion, a 'head carried by said web, and the upperedge of said web tapering downwardlyfrom said head-to the ends 'of theguard rail. v

4:. A combination as claimed in claim 3 in which each of said plates hasits end por' tions tapered downwardly corresponding to the tapered edgeof the guard rail.

5. A combination as claimed in claim 3 in which each of said plates istapered downwa-rdly from its central portion to its ends, and the endsof said plate being provided with flat portions adapted to be secured tothe railway ties.

6. A combination as claimed in claim 3 in which each of said plates isprovided at one end with a lateral extension provided with an upwardlyand outwardly ofi'set portion adapted to permit the flange of a switchpoint to move beneath the same.

7. A combination as claimed in claim 3 in which each of said plates isprovided at one end with a fiat portion provided with an upwardlyandoutwardly extending portion having an outwardly tapered edge.

8. A combination as claimed in claim 3 in which each of said plates hasits outer edge tapered downwardly and outwardly.

9. A combination as claimed in claim 3 in which each of said plates isprovided at one end witha flat portion, one extremity of said platebeing curved outwardly and merging into said flat portion.

10. A combination as claimed in claim 3 in which each of said plates isprovided with a horizontally disposed central portion and horizontallydisposed end portions arranged at a lower plane, the plate being curveddownwardly from the central portion to the end portions.

11. The combination with a stock rail a guard rail having a cover plate,and a filler block located between said rails, of a substantiallyU-shaped clamp provided with an inverted T-shaped recess through whichsaid rails and block extend, said clamp being provided with astep-shaped surface adapted to cooperate with the head of the guard railand one edgeof said cover plate, said clamp being also provided with agroove merging into said recess, and a wedge cooperating with one ofsaid rails and having a rib adapted to engage said groove.

12. A combination as claimed in claim 3 in which. the web of said guardrail is provided with a cut-away portion to permit the passage of aswitch-operating bar.

13. A combination as claimed in claim 3 in which the web of said guardrail is provided With a cut-away portion to permit the guard rails,-vertically extending portions passage of electric conductors extendingto projecting from said i raised-portions and a'switch point.terminating in inwardly extending angular 14. In a railway track, stockrails, a pluextensionsadapted to engage the heads of 5' rality of guardrails arranged between the theguard rails and said cover-plates, .and l5same and having cover plates, and a spacing vertical reinforcing membersintegral with member arranged between said guard rails said' verticallyextending portions. and consisting of a flat plate provided at its Intestimony whereof I aflix my signature. ends with outwardly extendingraised por V 10 tions adapted to engage the bases of the Y DENNIS E.LAHEY.

